


See You Tomorrow

by jiicarus



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, HTTYD3 Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, hiccup drinks his "i love my wife so goddamn much" juice every day, mildly not really it's mainly, other characters mentioned but tbh this is mainly a hiccup and toothless friendship story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 15:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18096722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jiicarus/pseuds/jiicarus
Summary: Even if tomorrow is a lifetime away.(or: ten years. Hiccup-centric.)





	See You Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> I watched HTTYD for the first time when I was 11, and then I rewatched it so many times that I memorized 99% of the script without reading a single word. thank you @ dreamworks for a beautiful franchise and the friendship of a lifetime.
> 
> (late night emo writings after Just having seen the movie. I haven't written in a long while + it's 4am so please feel free to comment on any mistakes you see. may be edited when it's not 4am and I'm less emo.)

He's taking this a lot better than he thought he would. 

Well, when he "thought" about this earlier, he was expecting a few differences; not missing his leg, for one. It's hard to look dignified and tall without that, but he thinks he's at least getting away with it from the fact that no one's given him a weird look. (But to be fair, everyone's a bit preoccupied with their goodbyes as well.) 

For another, he expected it to be much— _harder_? Is that the word?—to _hit_ him worse than this. His eyes are misty, his chest is heavy, but he's able to smile through it because  _well_ , this is for the best, isn't it? And Toothless, his best friend in the whole world, deserves so much; who is he to try and hold back the legendary Night Fury, now Alpha and King of dragons? 

Astrid tells him that it's okay for him to be ... be more worked up. Be upset, be sad, be  _emotional_ —that he doesn't have to pretend to be okay. "I'm not pretending," he says, and it's not a lie, because he isn't. Maybe he's better off than he thought. He wipes the stray little trickles of tears and Astrid still looks concerned but drops the matter, because someone else sweeps her away (and while Hiccup would normally be a little bit disappointed by that, he gives it a pass tonight, because it's been a big day. It's a night for celebration and grieving, all at once). 

He's fine. Things are fine. 

 

(At night, he comes to find that his reaction was probably a mix of shock and adrenaline and exhaustion, because suddenly this all-too-small tent feels oh-so-big, so  _quiet_ , so cold and empty without the slick but warm feel of scales next to him, of gruff but subtle breathing, of—

He cries. Sobs, really. He holes himself away a bit for the next few days, away from everyone save Astrid, and nobody wonders where the chief is because they're all a bit out of sorts. It's somewhat not fine.) 

* * *

Building continues. For a moment, people question if building the old dragon-heads is even necessary. That moment passes almost immediately, and it's the first unanimous agreement Hiccup's ever seen in Berk. 

(Or, well. New Berk.)

Everyone's a bit somber at the reminder, but there's a bittersweetness to their smiles.

* * *

Dragon slobber never quite comes out of his clothes. At some point, though, it finally does. He didn't think he'd miss having his stuff smell like dragon breath. 

* * *

There comes a day (finally) that Hiccup momentarily does not think about his old friend. 

When he remembers, he tries to convince himself that the heavy, reluctant feeling in his chest is relief, and that he's not at all disappointed about the fact that time really does heal all wounds, and that he isn't (shouldn't) be guilty about moving on. 

(C'mon, Hiccup. He's not—he's not  _gone_ , he's just ... away.)

* * *

He marries in the following winter. 

Ever since the plans were announced, people have been ribbing him left and right—and well, with the goofy look on his face, he's kind of asking for it. He takes it in stride, because he knows everyone means well and is really happy for the two of them, and his heart swells from all the genuine smiles and preparations. 

His own smile doesn't fade until the day of, and even then it only softens ever so slightly when standing in front of the whole village, barely registering Mother Gothi's words as he takes in the fact that this is really happening. His childhood sweetheart (one-sided crush), turned girlfriend, turned ... wife. He doesn't need to see his reflection to know that his expression is disgustingly sweet. (He can tell from the fact that Astrid's smile widens just a bit, how it always does when she's amused, and  _gods_ he loves her so much.) 

It's a joyous day. He's beyond elated. Forget the dancing, because he feels as though this whole day's a dream. 

He's grounded later though, just a bit, when he and his  _wife_ and their friends go out to that one cliffside, at the thought that they would've loved to have their dragons here for such an occasion. But the ache in his chest has lessened; the lump in his throat goes down easier, especially with her hand squeezing his. The smile on his face is still genuine, even as they turn their backs, and he and Astrid go to their home. 

 _Their_ home. 

(Somehow, everything actually is fine, even as he wistfully wishes to spot a familiar black figure in the horizon again.) 

* * *

They have their first child, some odd years later, and she's so beautiful that Hiccup's heart aches. 

She's the spitting image of Astrid, blue eyes and all, but her wispy reddish hair reminds him of someone else near and dear to him, and if anyone says that he shed some tears upon her birth, well. He can't really deny those claims. 

(The connection only furthers when she grows up and up, and her hair grows strong and full and oh. He hopes her grandpa is watching, amused and proud and equally full of love—especially when it turns out she takes after  _Hiccup_ more, with curiosity and innovation.) 

They have their second child not too long after, and Astrid is so incredibly pleased at how  _adorable_ he is—or so she says. It's almost embarrassing to hear her gush (in her own way) over their son right after hearing many,  _many_ people say that it's as though Hiccup himself had been reborn with blond hair, but. Well, he  _is_ rather adorable. 

(Their son, that is. Hiccup is obviously a handsome, imposing figure.) 

Their children (their  _children_!) are perfect in every which way, and he dotes on them as much as he can without it becoming spoiling, but everyone in the village knows that little Zephyr and Nuffink Haddock have him wrapped around their little fingers. 

And when the time comes for them to ask for a bedtime story, he only has to ponder for a single moment before remembering the perfect tales. 

"There were _dragons_ when I was a boy." 

* * *

At some point, many,  _many_ nights later, he reaches the end of his adventures. Ever since he began regaling them, his kids have been wide-eyed and wonderous, but just a bit in disbelief. After all, _they've_ never seen a dragon—are you just making these stories up, Dad?

(Somehow, they always believe Astrid whenever she chimes in. It's just unfair. Why do they doubt  _him_?

He supposes the twins and Snotlout trying to back it up might have something to do with it, though.) 

And at some point, he feels a tug on his tunic and looks down to see his two little balls of starlight seeming oddly anticipatory, anxious for—for something. 

Zephyr, always a bit louder and outgoing and spontaneous than her younger brother, doesn't even bother letting Hiccup wonder for too long before blurting in her not-quite-completely-refined speech, "Can you show us th' dragons, Dad?" 

Well. 

* * *

The boat ride is long. Every so often, he wonders if he's really going in the right way—it's been  _ten_ years, after all. 

He was a bit worried about the idea of just ...  _going_ to the Hidden World (even if they found it again, what way would they have of going down that waterfall? Even if they went down there, how would they be able to get to Toothless without alerting the  _hundreds_ of other dragons there? Even if—), but Astrid was as steady as ever in place of his worrywart tendencies. One hand on his shoulder from her, one reassuring look, and they were set to go the next day. 

Idly, he wonders why they never bothered trying to go before. Maybe it had been a hope to see the dragons come to them, first. But it's foolish to think like that when they had bid them farewell for safety reasons, that the farewells would've been rendered completely pointless if either side had decided to cave and go to the other, that Toothless is probably busy with his own responsibilities just like Hiccup is busy being a proper chief. 

(That, and, well, travel by  _boat_ is definitely not quite as fast as by  _dragon_. Sheesh, was it really this far?) 

Still, overthinker that he is, Hiccup is still up for doing something stupid. It's kinda what he does, isn't it? And even as his kids are sleepy from being on a rocking boat for so long, he remains as stubborn as ever while trying to navigate the broad, open waters, pulse loud in his ears over the waves. If they  _do_ find it—find Toothless—

He doesn't get to finish the thought. It's not an  _if_ , anymore. 

* * *

 

All of New Berk knows to the extent Hiccup would go for his family. The thought of even a strand of hair being harmed on any of their heads is enough to— _urgh_ , just don't even think about it. Everyone knows the quickest way to setting Hiccup off is to mess with his family. 

But most people also know that Toothless is Hiccup's closest friend—not many know that the Night Fury was his  _first_ friend, really. And no matter how much time or distance, Hiccup's affection for the dragon will not—has not—waver in the slightest, and neither will his trust. So he lets Astrid shield their kids because the two of them are frightened (and really, Toothless is a pretty frightening creature to anyone who doesn't know him), while he simply holds out his hand in that same pose he did half his life ago, wholeheartedly believing in Toothless without a single sliver of doubt or fear. 

(Is he a bit hurt that he wasn't recognized?—Nah. He can't hold that against Toothless, who's lived with his own kind for ten years, who visibly doesn't change nearly as much as human beings do. Hiccup's got a beard now! Bulked up a little, if he does say so himself.) 

His belief doesn't go unfounded, either, because suddenly Toothless pounces on him and is getting dragon slobber  _all over_ his clothes again, except Hiccup can't find it in himself to mind at all. It's as though years haven't passed, as if _days_ haven't passed, and the only thing that reminds him of the fact that it's been so long is the fact that he's _missed_ this. He's missed this  _so_ much. And judging from the Night Fury's reaction, he's  _been_ missed, too. And if the slobber all over him helps to mask the wet eyes he suddenly has, well. That's just a bonus. 

And even though  _he_ doesn't have any fear of Toothless, he knows that his kids are still pretty wary. As much as he'd love to spend all this time playing catch up, bond together like they used to, he wants to introduce two of the most important people in his life to ... one of the most important people in his life. And Toothless, his best bud, plays along in gently bumping his snout into his kids' tiny little palms, and Hiccup wishes this moment could last forever. 

His heart is heavy, but in a good way.

(It gets lighter as he soars through the clouds again, for the first time in a decade, with some excitable new passengers and tagalongs.) 

**Author's Note:**

> just a boy and his dragon, in the end.
> 
> (I don’t normally write a lot of fic anymore, but you can catch me on twitter @jiiyawns for art and ramblings and maybe I’ll even write more eventually)


End file.
